At least $109k lost to scammers impersonating banks through SMSes and FB ads since Nov

There has been an increasing trend in phishing scams where scammers impersonate banks and target victims through SMSes or Facebook advertisements, the police warned.

Since November 2021, at least 27 victims have fallen prey to such scams with reported losses amounting to at least $109,000.

In some of these cases, victims would receive unsolicited SMSes claiming that there were issues with their iBanking accounts. They would be asked to click on a link in order to resolve the issues.

In other cases, they would come across fake bank advertisements on Facebook offering prizes.

Upon clicking on the links embedded within these texts and ads, victims would be redirected to fake bank websites and asked to key in their iBanking account login details.

Victims would discover that they had been scammed when they received notifications informing them of unauthorised transactions charged to their bank accounts.

Members of the public are advised to follow these crime prevention measures:

• Do not click on dubious URL links provided in unsolicited text messages and online advertisements;

• Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources;

• Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details and OTP to anyone; and

• Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.

If you have information related to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

For urgent police assistance, call '999'

More information on scams can be found on www.scamalert.sg or via the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688.